Beauty Past Compare was doing her cool-down ululations when Camellia Sweet, a fellow performer at the Royal Rainbow Troupe, bounded over with more purpose than usual. As was the way of most RRT members, it was clear something was up a mile away - her bounding slowed to a secretive trot in close proximity, and by the time she got to Beauty, she was obviously sneaking close in bright daylight. Beauty smiled placidly and indulgently at her.
“Beauty,” she said in quiet sing-song.
“Camellia,” she responded in kind.
“I’m pregnant,” she said with no preamble.
She knew that, it was hardly a secret to a Legendary. Still, Beauty quickly contemplated What Would the Motherfather Do, and offered a good-natured “oh!” followed by “Congratulations…?”
Camellia Sweet’s mouth also shaped into an ‘oh,’ when she said “oh,” but broke into a pleasurable smile. She straightened up and said at normal volume, “I thought I might come to you for a blessing.”
Now that made Beauty smile unpleasantly, because she knew Red-stained Blossom was going to lose her shit that a troupe member came to her, the upstart newbie* Legendary, for a blessing.
"A wonderful choice," her voice was more sing-songy than ever, fishing, "why, I'm surprised you came to me instead of Rouge -"
"Oh yes," Camellia said with great cheer, "I mean, you were right here."
There was a brief moment of pause.
"Very convenient," she added helpfully, "I don't want to walk too far, me, pregnant and all."
"Ok whaddya want."
"Their father seems awfully high strung," Camellia mused, before winking at Beauty, "but pretty!
"I think I would like them to find their own way, in their own time."
Beauty's mild chuckle at her nudge was less than half-hearted, but she figured she'd better pull it together for the Motherfather. Shaking out her limbs and squishy body blithely, she started a mild prance.
"Dear Motherfather, let it be:
free her kids from anxiety,
careless whims and slipshod acts,
grant temperance which these two lack -
perhaps one day they'll come to see
they should be more like Aunt Beauty."
Ululation. In the end, the cool-down was the warm-up. The ululations were impressively loud even though she was feeling real lacklustre about the situation. The Motherfather should be proud.
"Yay," Beauty waved a hoof in Camellia's direction.
"I love the rhyming," Camellia clapped her own hooves, "but I'd rather them not be like Aunt Beauty. Seems tiring."
END